1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integral elastic suspension sleeve for use with an artificial shin and foot (below the knee prosthesis) or an artificial hand and forearm (below the elbow). More specifically, the invention discloses an integral flexible elastic support sleeve having two open ends which encloses and securely grips the thigh (or forearm) portion of a human being who has had a below the knee (or below the elbow) amputation and also encloses and securely grips the top of the socket of the limb prosthetic device. The sleeve inherently and by design yields and moves easily in accordance with the movements of the thigh, knee (or forearm and elbow) and the prosthetic device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Elastic supports for enclosing a body member are known in the art. For instance, Lon R. Hettick discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,586 a tubular elastic support having a fabric facing bonded to the interior and to the exterior surfaces each having low coefficients of friction and the same stretch rate as the elastic center portion. These tubular supports are useful to assist in the healing of, for instance, a damaged ankle, knee, back, hand, elbow, or the like. Both sides of the tubular support described in the patent have facings with a low coefficient of friction. Therefore, the tubular support, when in place on the human body, does not cling to or gather any clothing of the wearer. Further, because the inner surface has a complete facing, the body member moves easily within the tubular support and the support is easily put on or removed. This type of tubular support moves easily on the surface of the skin and is not air tight.
A. Staros and B. Goralnik in "Lower Limb Prosthetic Systems" in Atlas of Limb Prosthetics, published by E. V. Mosby Co. of St. Louis, Mo. in 1981 disclose specific terminology and configurations of sockets and suspension designs.
Other types of suspension for prosthetic devices include the following:
(1) adjustable belts suspended from the shoulders, waist and knee; (2) supracondylar suspension; (3) thigh lacer and metal joints; (4) suction sockets; and the like.
The use of elastic sleeves to provide support for a prosthetic device is known. However, there are no known atmospheric suspension sleeves for use with a prosthetic device which include preflexion or a fabric interliner, i.e., the sleeves are straight and have no fabric on the inner surface covering the intersection line of the surface of the lower extremity and the proximal terminating border of the prosthetic device. The present elastic sleeve therefore tends to "bunch up" in the area in the back of the knee during normal use. Since the nerves and blood vessels behind the knee are susceptible to localized pressure, this bunching can be uncomfortable and potentially tramatizing to the lower extremity of the wearer. Further, without a fabric of some type on the support sleeve at the surface of the intersection of the lower extremity and the socket of the prosthetic device, the suspension sleeve of the art is subject to rapid deterioration through the shearing force that occurs during normal utilization. Further, the absence of a fabric reinforcement panel induces negative pressure and potential edema along the margin of the external edge of the socket sleeve and the tissue interface.